Dear Members of the Campus Community,
News reports during the last year have repeatedly alerted us to the rise of anti-Asian violence taking place in the United States. While ignorance, fear, and racially motivated violence did not originate with COVID-19, this increase has been spurred by misleading rhetoric and misinformation surrounding the pandemic.
¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ stands firmly against these acts of hatred and the sentiments that motivate them. While distance and masking prevent disease, the answers to bigotry are knowledge, community, and empathy. We will continue to cultivate these traits in our classrooms, offices, and residence halls — as colleagues, classmates, and teammates.
Some of our efforts are rooted in ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ’s mission. Wisdom that comes from a liberal arts education can help to overcome ignorance, which allows perpetrators of violence to see diverse cultures as a singular, monolithic threat. Open conversations around life experiences and identity encourage us to see our common needs, ambitions, desires, and rights. Other initiatives spring directly from the work of dedicated members of our own community.
As we condemn racism around the country, we also stand against it here on campus. If you encounter incidents of bias, discrimination, or harassment on this campus, I encourage you to report them. This webpage has links to appropriate forms, or you can reach out to a member of the counseling center staff.
America’s diversity should be celebrated. We share this land and its bounty, but more importantly, we share a common humanity. This is a simple fact, as solid as any law of physics. Let us live this truth within our community and take it forward, whenever and however we can, into the greater world outside our campus boundaries.
Sincerely,
Brian W. Casey
President